Radiator trap



Feb. 19 1924.

1,484,395 A. F. JENKINS RADIATOR TRAP WHQQ I a I Filed Dec. 4. "1920 In\H I m i W? Gua Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATE ALEXANDER FREDERICK JENKINS, OF BALTIMORE, MATBJYLAND.

RADIATOR TRAP.

Application filed December 4, 1920. Serial No. 428,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER FREDER- ICK JENKlNS, a citizen of theUnited States of America, residing in the city of Baltimore, State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RadiatorTraps, of which the following is a specification.

The use of steam traps of various types for draining the condensed waterfrom the radiators in domestic and similar'heating systems of the typesknown as vacuum vapor and steam heating systems, is well known. Themajority of these are actuated by a diaphragm exposed on one side to thepressure of steam or condensed water and on the other to a liquid or gashaving a high co-efiicient of expansion.

The radiator trap which is the subject of this invention belongs to thisgeneral type but embodies a radical improvement in that instead of adiaphragm or metal bellows, the actuating member consists of a tube ofany suitable cross section bent in a series of reverse curves orotherwise formed in a series of transverse peaks and depressions.

Change of pressure inside the tube or change of the relation of theinternal to the external pressure causes change of the length of thetube. Increase of the ratio of the internal pressure to the externalpressure causes elongation of the tube.

As compared to the previous apparatus of this general type, the deviceof the invention has the advantages of cheapness and simplicity ofconstruction, both as to the actuating member and the co-operatingparts. Another important advantage is the compactness of. the structure,its sensitiveness and 'eflicient operation, particularly in itseffective response to small changes of pressure and temperature.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a radiator trapembodying my invention in the form in which it has been reduced topractice and which is regarded as the preferred form.

Figure 1 is a vertical section on theline of the axis of the device.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, each of which is used to indicatecorresponding parts in the different figures:

The radiator trap illustrated, consists of a seat or body member, 1, anda co-operatthis end.

ing cap, 2, adapted to engage the seat memher in any suitable manner asat 3, an ac tuating member, in the form of a reverse curved tube and avalve, 5. The base or seat member, 1, has a passage, 7, adapted to beconnected to the radiator at the low point thereof and referred tohereinafter as the radiator passage and a passage, 8, intended to bejoined to the return pipe of the system and referred to hereinafter asthe return passage. The base member, 1, includes a valve seat, 9, andabove the valve seat is the pressure chamber, 10, to which chamber theradiator passage, 7, leads. The passage, 8, is likewise connected tothepressure chamber leading downward therefrom by way of the valve seat, 9,which is in the bottom wall of the chamber and faced upward. The valve,5, co-operateswith the valve seat, 9, and in the form of the inventionshown opens upward. The valve, 5, as shown, is provided with guidingmeans, 6, depending therefrom and engaging the walls of the passagebelow the seat, serving to align the valve as it approaches theseat andco-operating with the valve rod, 21, to The pressure chamber, 10, in theseat member, 1, is open at the top of the casting of which the seatmember is formed and said opening, 11, is covered by the actuatingmember,4;, which is placed in upri ht position on a shoulder, 12, in thebase casting surrounding the opening, 11, the actuating member beingformed with a base flange, 13, surrounding the opening for this purpose,so that the tube or actuating member forms part of the pressure chamber.Abovethe shoulder, 12, the base memher is formed with internal threads,14, and the cap, 2, has its end portion, 15, threaded to co-operate withthe threads, 14, forming the aforesaid engagement or connection, 3, thecap being screwed down against the flange, 13, holding the actuatingmember in upright position within the cap, as aforesaid.

Surrounding the actuating member within the cap occupying the spaceindicated by reference character, 16. I preferablyplace the fluid, i.e., a liquid or gas having a high co-efiicient of expansion or this maybe introduced by way of the plugged opening, 17 or otherwise.

The actuating member, 4, in the preferred form as shown consists of atube closed at 13, and bent in a series of reverse curves havingalternate transverse peaks, 19, and depressions, 20, the sides beingparallel, the

general direction of the tube being straight. V The peaks are spacedapart to permit the valve rod, 21, towhich the valve, 5, is secured toreciprocate in the tube. While the tube is. referred to as bent in aseries of reverse curves, the exact nature of the curvature isimmaterial, the essential feature being that the tube is bent in aseries of peaks anddepressions. The valve rod, 21, is secured to theactuating member at a point spaced from therpoint of support at 13. Itis most conveniently secured to the closed end wall, 18, of the tube inthe present instance by a nut, 22, on a reduced end, 23, of the roddrawing a shoulder, 24, on the rod against the bottom surface of thewall, 18.

In operation, the passage, 7, as aforesaid, is joined to a low point onthe radiator and passage, 8, to the return pipe of the system. lVhen theinside of the radiator is filled with dry steam or vapor at the desiredtemperature and the radiator is drained of water, the steam or vapor atthe said temperature fills the actuating member or tube, 4:, andcommunicates substantially the same temperature to the liquid in; thespace, 16, which tends to expand applying pressure to the outside of thetube, and causing the valve to be and remain seated. Vhen thetemperature of the radiator drops causing condensation, the w'ater at alower temperature acci'lmulate-s 1n the actuating member or tube, 4:,cooling the expansib le liquid or 0th V gating the tube or actuatingmember and raising the valve, 5, from its seat which causes thecondensed water to drain from the radiator into the return pipe.

Examination of the structure shows that on account of the small crosssection of the actuating member, which takes the place ofthe ordinarydiaphragm, the trap may be made of exceedingly small dimensions; thatthe manner of mounting it between the cap and the base and of connectingit to the valve reduces the niun ber of parts to the minimum and thatthe actuating member, 4, as well as the entire trap "may be produced ata comparatively small cost which is an important element as these trapsmust be supplied in large quantities, one being used in connection witheach radiator; also the use of such a tube as an actuating member givesan exceedingly large throw of the valve for a small change in pressurewhich results in the production of a trap which drainsimmediately on theaccumulation of even 'a small quantity of water and which closes aspromptly, preventing the escape of steam or other heat vehicle used inthe system from the radiator. r

In Figure 2, which is a cross section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, I haveshown the actuating or translating member formed of twov strips, 25 and26, bent 'transversally'to form the concave cross sections illustratedand the longitudinal edge flanges, 27. These strips are bent incorresponding longitudinal reverse curves as illustrated in Figure 1 andthen placed with the curves in registration, the flanges being incont'act and se cured together by any suitable means as brazing,welding, soldering or riveting or the tube may-be otherwise formed as bybending an ordinary tube.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a radiator trapembodying my invention in the preferred or present form in order thatthe nature and operation and manner of applyingthe invention may beclearly understood; however, the specific terms herein are useddescriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the Vinvention being deined in the claims;

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: V s

1. A radiator trap having an actuating member consisting of a tube bentin the form of alternate peaks and depressions, the opposite sides ofthe tube forming the peaks and depressions, being'substantially paralleland so spaced and related as to admit a valve rod inside the tube andpermit it to be reciprocated longitudinally therein, a valve rod in saidtube, a valve on said rod, and a valve seat with which the said valveco-operates,

2. A radiator trap having a 'pressure chamber and connections to connectthe same to a radiator, a tube having parallel sides bent in a series ofpeaks and depressions joined to the pressure chamber so that the insideof the tube forms part of the chamber, a valve seat' leading fromf thechamber, a valve cooperating therewith and means connecting the valve tothe tube at a point remote from the attachmentvof the tube to the'chamber, a chamber enclosing the tube and an expansible fluid confinedtherein;

3. A radiator trap having a pressure chamber-adapted to be connected toa radiator outlet, a tube bent in a sense of peaks and depressionshaving one end connected to the pressure chamber so that the insideo-fthe tube forms part of the chamber,-the .opposite end of the tube beingclosed, a valve seat leading from the bottom of the pressure chamber, avalve co-operating therewith, having its stem extending through the tubeand. secured to the closed endof the tube, a member enclosing the tubeform 7 member having a pressure chamber therein, means for connectingsaid chamber to a radiator outlet, the pressure chamber being formedwith a valve seat and a shoulder above the valve seat, a tube formed ina series of peaks and depressions, having one end open and flanged, theflanged end being seated on the shoulder, the other end of the tubebeing closed, a detachable cap adapted to co-operate with the bodymember so that the cap can be caused to enclose the tube providing achamber about the tube the cap engaging the flange on the tube andholding it in position, and a valve co-operating with the seat andhaving a stem extending into the tube and secured to the closed end ofthe tube.

5. A radiator trap having a valve chamher adapted to be connected to aradiator outlet, atube closed at one end and open at the other end, andbent in the form of alternate peaks and depressions, the opposite sidesof the tube being substantially parallel, the open end of the tube beingconnected to the said valve chamber, a valve rod inside the tube andsecured to the closed end of the tube, the valve rod extending throughthe tube, a valve in the valve chambers secured to the rod, and guidingmeans for the valve.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, this 1stday of December, 1920.

ALEXANDER FREDERICK JENKINS. Witnesses A. W. CARR, BERTHA SoHRoErER.

